Soup Made with Split Peas
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 potatoes, diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup barley
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 2 cups dried split peas
- 7 1/2 cups water
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- Carbohydrate 23.8123812559269 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.44696426295428 g
- Fiber 6.45556976141896 g
- Protein 5.28857118599738 g
- Saturated Fat 0.149873094462096 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (276g)
- Sodium 141.749887349979 mg
- Sugar 17.356811494508 g
- Trans Fat 0.106943542510202 g
- Calories 125 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large pot over medium high heat, saute the oil, onion, bay leaf and garlic for 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
- Add the peas, barley, salt and water.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.
- Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, parsley, basil, thyme and ground black pepper.
- Simmer for another hour, or until the peas and vegetables are tender.
Why add the carrots and potatoes an hour after the split peas? Staged cooking prevents root vegetables from turning into mush while dried legumes undergo the long hydration process required to break down their complex starches. Keeping aromatics separate from dense root vegetables ensures proper texture control.
Staged Addition Mechanics
Dried split peas and barley need extended simmering to soften. Introducing them to boiling water first allows structural cell walls to break down. Soft root vegetables like potatoes disintegrate if boiled for three hours. Adding carrots, celery, and potatoes during the final hour preserves their structural integrity while melding flavors.Adapting the Base
Barley provides a chewy bite and thickening starch via amylose release. Swapping barley for an equal measure of short-grain brown rice alters the starch profile without changing liquid ratios. Quinoa behaves differently, absorbing water faster and collapsing entirely, yielding a denser porridge rather than a broth-based soup.
